In the 21st century, however, the topic has cooled. About 250 bc, alexandria, egypt, became one of the great book marts of the world. Demetrius envisioned a library that would house a copy of every book in the world, an institution to rival those of athens itself. The great library of alexandria bill anderson, frc. How did the books get to the library in alexandria.
The idea that the library of alexandria set out to gather every book ever written including important nongreek texts no matter the cost, would be repeated numerous times, from the firstcentury ce historian josephus, to the sixthcentury ce scholar isidore of seville, until it became arguably the most famous characteristic of the. Some books may have been stolen, therefore, but any books that existed in the serapeum at the time would have been destroyed when it was razed to the ground. What knowledge may have been lost at the library of alexandria. Alexandria library one of the most important egypt attractions. Includes pictures depicting important people, places, and events. According to legend, the library at alexandria was burned three times. Ptolemys grandest building project was the alexandria library, which he founded in 306 b.
Browse the alexandria library kids digital collection. At alexandrias black history museum, where audrey is the director, the most important part of the building to her is the robert robinson gallerywhat was originally the robert robinson library for african american citizens. Alexandria came to be regarded as the capital of knowledge and learning, in part because of the great library. The library offers premium research tools accessible with your library card. Availability can change throughout the month based on the library s budget. The earliest known surviving source of information on the founding of the library of alexandria is the pseudepigraphic letter of aristeas, which was composed between c. It formed part of the research institute at alexandria in egypt that is known as the alexandrian museum. Its main purpose was to show off the wealth of egypt, with research as a lesser goal, but its contents were used to aid the ruler of egypt. The great thinkers of the age, scientists, mathematicians, poets from all civilizations came to study and exchange ideas. The founding of the library of alexandria, actually two or more libraries, is obscure. Graduates of classics or archaeology departments may apply directly for a masters degree. The original would be kept in the library and the copy given back to the owner.
Jun 02, 2019 the great library of alexandria cc by sa 4. The museum was a shrine of the muses modeled after the lyceum of aristotle in athens. Reshelving alexandria membership reshelving alexandria. Alexandria book library, by federica ugolotti joomla extension. Learn more about alexandria alexandria library automation software alexandria is effortless to set up, intuitive, and easy to use. We had a recent turnover in library staff and equipment. The fate of that great wealth of books remains provocative and controversial. The royal alexandria library was once the greatest and largest libraries in ancient world. We are dedicated to providing you and your library the tools to focus on whats most important. The most important buildings in ancient alexandria, egypt. Although callimachus did his most famous work at the library of alexandria. The history and legacy of the ancient worlds most famous library.
Perhaps one of the most interesting accounts of its destruction comes from the accounts of the roman writers. It covers how the library came into existence, the tactics used to stock the library and to what historians think might have happened to it. The setting for the stormy relationship between cleopatra and mark antony, alexandria was also the centre of learning in the ancient world. Library of alexandria, famous ancient library, considered to have the greatest collection of books in the ancient world. The library, begun under ptolemy i 305285 bce was completed by ptolemy ii 285246 bce who sent invitations to rulers and scholars asking them to contribute books. According to several authors, the library of alexandria was accidentally destroyed by julius caesar during the siege of alexandria in 48 bc. Alexandria library facts library of alexandria history. His successor as pharaoh, ptolemy i soter, founded the museum also called museum of alexandria, greek mouseion, seat of the muses or royal library of alexandria in 283 bc. This book has some very interesting facts about the library of alexandria such as the first card cataloging and the first recorded event of alphabetization. With just a few exceptions, all databases are accessible from home using your library card. Learn more about alexandria alexandria library automation. The new library of alexandria is located on the eastern harbor on or near the site of the original. Library of alexandria, the most famous library of classical antiquity. The library was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world, but details about it are a mixture of history and legend.
In celebration of the rich culture and history of african americans, alexandria library has compiled the african american history subject guide. The ancient library of alexandria was a large and significant library of the ancient world. Alexandria library is no longer purchasing macmillan or its imprints in ebook format. It attracted brilliant scholars from around the ancient world. The canopic westernmost branch of the nile delta still existed at that time, and was widely used for shipping. Alexandria is effortless to set up, intuitive, and easy to use. Alexandria, i need an exciting book for a middle schooler about the alaskan gold rush. The destruction of the great library of alexandria has been lamented as one of the biggest losses of the ancient world. It is quite famous for being the worlds sixth largest francophone library in the world. Many important and influential scholars worked at the library during the third and. It was created under the reign of the ptolemaic dynasty, and it transformed alexandria now egypt into a city of culture and knowledge. Library of alexandria the fate of the library of alexandria.
The ancient library of alexandria biblical archaeology society. Alexandria library history alexandria attraction luxor. We challenge you to create an exciting and engaging trailer that will entice viewers into reading the book. According to historians oakes and gahlin, there was room for up to 70,000 papyrus scrolls. The more famous editors generally also held the title of head librarian, and. Library of alexandria library of alexandria the fate of the library of alexandria. Famous for its lighthouse, its librarythe greatest in antiquityand its fertile intellectual and spiritual lifeit was here that christianity and islam came to prominence as world religionsalexandria now takes its rightful place alongside greece and rome as a titan of the ancient world. Alexandria was founded in egypt by alexander the great. Once the largest library in the ancient world, and containing works by the greatest thinkers and writers of antiquity, including homer, plato, socrates and much more, the library of alexandria, northern egypt, is popularly believed to have been destroyed in a huge fire around 2000 years ago and its voluminous works lost. It is believed that around 295 bce, the scholar and orator demetrius of phalerum, an exiled governor of athens, convinced ptolemy i soter to establish the library. During its long history, alexandria was a tobacco trading post, one of the ten busiest ports in america, a part of the district of columbia, home to both the largest slavetrading firm in the country and a large freeblack community, a civil war supply center for for union. The library flourished under the patronage of the ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a major center of scholarship. An egyptian village named rhacotis existed at the location and grew into the egyptian quarter of alexandria. The booklet is very short, and the references to historical reports takes more space than the actual accounts in the body of the booklet.
The great library of alexandria was most likely established during the reign of ptolemy ii philadelphus 285246 bc leading the city of alexandria to be acknowledged as the capital of knowledge and learning. The great library of alexandria in alexandria, egypt, was one of the largest and most. Created in 1940 in response to tuckers sitin, this library held programs for children and kept records of. Library of alexandria, bibliotheca alexandrina crystalinks. Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the as. The hidden library of alexandria and concerning the number of books, the establishment of libraries, and the collection in the hall of the muses, why need i even speak, since they are all in mens memories. At its peak the library contained between 40,000 and 400,000 manuscripts, scrolls and employed more than 100. The ancient library of alexandria biblical archaeology. The library of alexandria was a true wonder of the ancient world, whether or not it was listed as one.
The editors at the library of alexandria are especially well known for their work on homeric texts. These are readytouse library of alexandria worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the library of alexandria which was a very important library of the ancient world. During ancient times and today, the library of alexandria serves as a center of excellence in the production and dissemination of knowledge and a place of dialogue, learning. Birthplace of the modern world pollard, justin, reid, howard on. Mar 10, 2017 alexandria came to be regarded as the capital of knowledge and learning, in part because of the great library. Once home to the massive pharos lighthouse, one of the seven wonder of the ancient world, the mediterranean seaport of alexandria was founded by alexander the great around 330 bce, and like many other cities in his empire, took its name from him. Libraries were important for textual research in the ancient world, since the same text often existed in several different versions of varying quality and veracity. The training and support offered by the company are excellent. Yet, before that, there were some big port cities just east of alexandria, at the western edge of what is now abu qir bay. In ancient latin, the library was known as the alexandrina bybliothece see image at right. One of the major acquisitions for the library was the books of aristotle, concerning which. Alexandria is a port city located on the mediterranean sea in northern egypt founded in 331 bce by alexander the great. Library of alexandria quotes quotes tagged as library of alexandria showing of 3 they say that caliph omar, when consulted about what had to be done with the library of alexandria, answered as follows. The history of alexandria dates back to the citys founding, by alexander the great, in 331 bc.
Sep 29, 2018 this great library combined both east and west civilizations. Alexandria book library is a joomla component that make you the ability to manage your personal book library or a public library. This program involved trips to the book fairs of rhodes and athens. Alexandria library software is wonderful for a large or small library. It allowed residents of the city to borrow books for free. The library was named after alexander the great, who initiated the collection of documents in 334 bce. Alexandria, my daughter found a book by kate seredy at the library and loved it, what else has she written.
The library of alexandria and the famous people who worked there. Consider entering alexandria library s book trailer contest. The project became a reality with the help of the unesco and was inaugurated on 16 october 2002. Causes vary from arson to the sun s rays setting fire to leaflets through the action of a.
Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the library of alexandria like never before. May 28, 2019 for a detailed discussion of the date of the destruction of the library, see ellens, alexandria, pp. The modern alexandria library or the bibliotheca alexandrina as once called in ancient egypt is located on a magnificent site in the eastern harbor, facing the sea on the north, and alexandria university complex on its southern side. One of the interesting facts about the ancient world that seems to be missing from many history books is that there were many great collections of books and literature in ancient times and most were open to any scholar from anywhere in the world. Please sign in again so you can continue to borrow titles and access your loans, wish list, and holds pages. But ancient alexandria declined, and when napoleon landed, he found a sparsely populated fishing village.
The content of alexandria book library site is licensed under a creative commons share alike 3. If the books of this library contain matters opposed to the koran, they are bad and must be. Nov 18, 2017 alexandria library bibliotheca alexandrina alexandria library is regarded as one of the largest and most famous libraries in the world and the modern library of alexandria acts as a commemoration of the ancient alexandria library and to the ancient days of glory. Alexandria library information alexandria library facts. It was the largest library in the known world at the time, and contained knowledge that is. The alexandria center for hellenistic studies was established as a joint collaboration between the bibliotheca alexandrina, the onassis foundation, the vardinoyannis foundation, and the alexandria university. The great library of alexandria is one of the most famous and most significant libraries of antiquity. Starting february 1st, read one book or listen to one audiobook and you can be entered to win a gift card. The letter of aristeas claims that the library was founded. This ptolemy was not one of the rulers of ancient egypt during the roman era, but an important scholar at the library of alexandria. Alexandria support made that a very smooth transition for us. It covers how the library came into existence, the tactics used to stock the library. The library was arguably one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world, but details about it are a mixture of history and legend.
Every scholar studied in this great library has left a copy of his written book. What knowledge may have been lost at the library of. These resources are subscriptionbased and provide access to information from reliable sources. The great library of alexandria was considered one of the greatest and most important libraries in the ancient world. The library of alexandria and the famous people who worked. It says the library was there, and it was important, and now they have built a new library near its ancient site or so they think. Almost immediately the library epitomized the best scholarship of the ancient world, containing the intellectual riches of mesopotamia, persia, greece, rome and egypt. Once the largest library in the ancient world, and containing works by the greatest thinkers and writers of antiquity, including homer, plato, socrates and much more, the library of alexandria, northern egypt, is popularly believed to have been destroyed in a huge fire around 2000. As for the museum, mostafa elabbadi writes in life and fate of the ancient library of alexandria paris 1992. The library at alexandria was said to be one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world.
The library of alexandria was one of the bestknown of the libraries of the ancient world. You can still place a hold on the title, and your hold will be automatically filled as soon as the title is available again. Over the centuries, the library of alexandria was one of the largest and most significant libraries in the ancient world. Alexandria, founded in 1749, has a fascinating history, and many of its historic buildings are still preserved today. Founded by ptolemy i soter, king of egypt, in the city of alexandria, it was expanded by his son ptolemy ii philadelphus early in the 3rd century bc. Where did the books from the great library of alexandria come from. For centuries the main point of contention was whether or not the library or librariesas two sites existed survived until the arab conquest of alexandria in the 7th century. This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the library of alexandria across 24 indepth pages. Athenaeus the hidden library is one of the largest hermetic chantries in the. No other institution illustrates the spirit of hellenism better than the ancient library of alexandria, egypt. Library of alexandria simple english wikipedia, the free. In ancient egypt, all ships visiting the city were obliged to surrender their books to the library of alexandria and be copied. It is most famous in antiquity as the site of the pharos, the great lighthouse, considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, for the temple of serapis, the serapion, which was part of the legendary library at alexandria, as a seat of learning and, once, the.
Great scholars from all over the world came to study at the library, as it included a museum, lecture. Many fires and a lot of earthquakes have caused a lot of damage to the city of alexandria and its library. The library of alexandria and millions of other books are available for instant access. Centre of learning in the ancient world 9781850435945. Library fires have happened sporadically through the centuries. The history and legacy of the ancient worlds most famous library looks at the history of the library in an attempt to separate fact and fiction.